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Big dogs, small apartments

Let’s be honest, dog lovers have it rough in the city. There are so many downsides to owning a dog that it’s really a hard thing to handle. Living in a crowded area automatically means that you are forced to live in a small apartment. Finding a place to live that also allows pets is an incredibly hard thing to do. Finding a landlord who is okay with dogs is almost impossible. Almost!

So you’ve managed to find a great place and a great landlord that lets you keep a dog, so now you are doing the research, to make up your mind exactly what breed to get for your tiny place. The obvious answer is a small breed, of course. But if you are anything like me then you can definitely agree that owning a small dog is no different to owning a cat, and cats are no fun at all.

So you want a big, fluffy, hairy, mess of a dog to fit in your limited space. Believe it or not, there are actually some breeds that fit the description. You basically need a big dog that doesn’t need a lot of space and a lot of exercise.

The German Boxer would definitely be a good fit. The great thing about it is that although it’s a big dog, it’s incredibly lazy. This means that it’s levels of energy aren’t through the roof, so two walks a day (one in the morning and one in the evening) should be enough. Another great thing about these dogs is that they are incredibly smart and training will take less than you would expect. They are also very loving, extremely protective of their owner and great with kids. There are actually few breeds that can care for kids better than Boxers.

Another great choice would be the Great Dane. This isn’t just a big dog, it’s a giant one. Just like the Boxer, the Great Dane is incredibly lazy. The thing about them is that they have really short hair and can’t live outside on cold weather. They are highly sensible to colds, so an apartment would be the right place for them. You just need to walk them twice a day, and you are set. And given the fact that they are so lazy, they will most likely never have the urge to chew anything or damage things around the house.

However, the downside of both of these breeds is that they need a strong owner. If you can’t assert your authority with them, you will turn them into the alpha males/females and they will be impossible to handle. If you don’t manage to get them to respect you, and to understand that you’re the boss, then you may as well give up and try to find a more docile, smaller breed.